Thousands of people crowded under umbrellas in the dark and rain on Friday, lining Sherman Avenue in downtown Coeur d’Alene for the 27th annual Lighting Ceremony Parade.

For Wendy Pollock, who had a front-row seat, it was a way to reconnect with family, including her grandkids, who were in that evening from Kennewick.

“We do it for the kids,” she said, knees tucked under blankets and mitts holding a bag of cookies.

Tuesday was her fifth time as an audience member at the parade, this year joined by seven family members. Grinches, snowmen, marching bands and dancers passed by as they watched.

Mason Baum, Pollock’s grandson, said he enjoyed watching the trucks honk their horns and flash strobe lights. He ticked off his own highlights from the parade: dog walkers, moose, Smokey Bear, tiny motorcycles, mini horses and a man in a cheeseburger costume on stilts.

“I like the lights,” Baum, 12, said.

After the damp parade, people flocked to the lake waterfront to watch a 15-minute-long firework show that ended with a cheer from the crowd. The Coeur d’Alene Resort also turned on its 1.5 million Christmas lights, the display outlining the building, again drawing a cheer from the crowd.

Tara Clemm, Pollock’s daughter, said she felt like a kid again watching with her own children.

“It’s seeing it through their eyes,” she said. “It’s basically the kickoff for Christmas.”